Links - 21st June 2014

ADL anti-Semitism study is historically large, but how accurate? - "People in these surveys enormously overestimate the number of Jews in their country or in the world,” said Rabbi Andrew Baker, director of international Jewish affairs for the American Jewish Committee. “But the reality probably is, in many areas Jews certainly have an influence well beyond their number in society, so is someone reflecting a certain reality that we ourselves recognize or is someone expressing an anti-Jewish sentiment?” The poll shows low averages for anti-Semitism in Asia, with some exceptions. One of them is South Korea, whose 53-percent concentration of anti-Semitism was well above the regional average of 22 percent. Baker explained that South Koreans have an intense curiosity about Jews, and that they make up the largest number of visitors to Europe’s Holocaust museums and sites of former concentration camps. In that way, canards the survey considers signs of anti-Semitism can be considered cultural aspirations outside of the Western world, according to Baker. In Gerstenfeld’s estimation, the study “confirms what we have known, [what] is being hushed up by all kinds of whitewashers of [the anti-Semitism of] Muslims.” “We are being told, and the administration in the U.S. is part of [it], that you have radical Muslims and then you have perfectly moderate Muslims, and [the moderates] are the majority and they are two distinct groups,” he said. “That is nonsense! I have been saying that for years and this study proves it. The truth is that there is a broad range of Muslim gradations, with very radical ones and moderates at the two extremes”"

Savills bans sex in the office loos after condom blockage, email goes viral

Craigslist Ads Offering Free Rent For Sex

This is what Game of Thrones would look like if it were a Disney movie

We head to France to try Nutella sushi - "The thin crepe layered around coconut flavored rice and a healthy dollop of Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread was a sight to behold... Our reporter later found out that Planet Sushi also offers Nutella sushi with strawberries or bananas"

Italian murder trial in Genoa halted after judge spots couple having sex

Removal of a long PVC pipe strangulated in the penis by hot-melt method.
One who sent me this: "You know you always have that one friend that comes to mind when you see certain things. If you can't think of anyone it's probably you"

Chinese Girls Demand Cooked Sushi at World's Best Sushi Bar. What Happens Next is NOT Shocking.

The High Price of a Free College Education in Sweden - "Swedish colleges and universities are free. Yep. Totally free. But students there still end up with a lot of debt. The average at the beginning of 2013 was roughly 124,000 Swedish krona ($19,000). Sure, the average US student was carrying about 30% more, at $24,800... Swedes, like other Nordic Europeans, have an independent streak. They leave their parental homes earlier than almost all their southern neighbors. One study found that just 2% of Swedish men lived with their parents after the age of 30. In Spain, a quarter of 30-year-old men still are shacking up with mom and dad; in Italy it was around 32%. Nobody's exactly sure why this is. One of the more fascinating theories is that the differences in the strength of family ties in northern and southern Europe is a faint echo of invasions by the Roman Empire and Islamic caliphates in the Mediterranean region versus the Germanic-Nordic dominance in regions further north. Or it could reflect the fact that back in the middle ages, young people in northern Europe were often sent out to work as servants outside the family home. Others simply argue that it's the economy, with low wages and high housing costsconspiring to keep southern Europeans living at home... In Sweden, the entire system is aimed at severing the financial link between parents and young adults... Sure, automobiles and houses are nice. But if you're looking for indicators of adulthood, the must-have accessory is a human infant. And, in a way, that's sort of what this is about."

Denmark's 'voteman' cartoon pulled: Oral sex, extreme violence and dolphins just too 'damaging' - "A violent and sexual 90-second cartoon made by the Danish parliament to encourage voting in the upcoming EU elections has been removed after being labelled “offensive”. The ad introduced ‘Voteman’ - a muscular, leather-clad, aggressive 'superhero' - who is first filmed having sex with five naked women, in an attempt to appeal to younger voters. He puts a stop to the hanky panky and rushes out to encourage people to vote, interrupting couples having sex and smashing men and women through glass windows to get them to the voting booths. Before riding into town on two dolphins, he also rips the head off a young person who says he is going to skip the polls, and throws a couple having sex on election day out of the window - bed and all."

The unabashed ‘proselytisation’ of Malaysia - "Just about all Malay extremist groups have humiliated, insulted and threatened non-Muslims, targeting their religious beliefs and faiths. From Perkasa to Pekida to Isma, they are all guilty of inciting unrest among our peace-loving rakyat. Yet, Najib shows no interest in wanting to calm the already livid minority communities. It is this repugnant silence and disinterest that continues to ‘boost’ bigotry in the country. Former Court of Appeal judge Mohd Noor Abdullah exposed his bigotry when he voiced his displeasure over deities in a Hindu and Buddhist temple built in the open. Mohd Noor complained about the Lord Murugan statue at a Hindu temple in Batu Caves and the statue of Kuan Yin at a Buddhist temple in Penang, both of which he claimed were an affront to Islam as the religion forbade idolatry. His rantings that Islam is superior to other faiths based on the Federal Constitution, which states that Islam is the religion of the federation, has made the man a laughing stock. Mohd Noor by any measure is intolerant, his complaints that such ‘huge’ sculptures of non-Muslim deities would make the Muslim-majority feel threatened is simply outrageous... Despite its many racist and damaging statements including calls for the Bible to be torched, denying the Christians the use of the word ‘Allah’ and threats of another race riot if the majority of the Malays remained poor, Perkasa remains ‘untouched’ by the ‘powers that be’."
Islamophobia!

Samsung trips can be a family affair - "Samsung Electronics employees are now able to accompany their family members on business trips overseas, making it the first Korean conglomerate to adopt such a measure... Apple, Microsoft and General Electric have reportedly also implemented a similar policy. Samsung Electronics’ policy only covers the cost for the employee’s trip and not the family members. The company also prohibits the employee from seeking benefits for their family during their business trips, such as free tours... Samsung Group, which is looking to change its work motto from “work hard” to “work smart,” is considering expanding the policy to its other affiliates if it proves successful"

Want to have a better time in bed? Stop stressing about sex and learn to take it in turns says the expert - "Roughly 75 per cent of men in relationships always have an orgasm with their partner, compared to only 30 per cent of women. Men's orgasms last anywhere between five and 13 seconds, women's last around 12 to 30 seconds. Do the maths and you'll quickly see that no sane bookie would ever back the odds of both of you orbiting into orgasmic ecstasy at exactly the same moment.... It's not only easier to orgasm one at a time, it means we can focus intently on making sure it's the best it can be for our partner (rather than losing ourselves in our own yummy but inherently selfish orgasmic sensations)."

Chinese Female Bodyguard - Imgur - "On April 4th 2014, six beauties started training in a bodyguard training school in Beijing. In recent years, the number of schools like this has grown, graduating classes every year. Many beautiful women partake in the grueling training... Female bodyguards often out earn their male counterparts significantly... Not only do these women go through tough training, in recent years many of them are also good looking, tall, and have a good figure... Compared to a male bodyguard, a female bodyguard can disguise herself as a secretary or personal assistant without appearing too indiscreet. They're sought after by business executives."

Woman spends $15,000 on plastic surgery to take perfect 'selfies'

Gluten Intolerance May Not Exist - "fermentable, poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrates, also known as FODMAPs... each treatment diet, whether it included gluten or not, prompted subjects to report a worsening of gastrointestinal symptoms to similar degrees. Reported pain, bloating, nausea, and gas all increased over the baseline low-FODMAP diet. Even in the second experiment, when the placebo diet was identical to the baseline diet, subjects reported a worsening of symptoms! The data clearly indicated that a nocebo effect, the same reaction that prompts some people to get sick from wind turbines and wireless signals, was at work here. Patients reported gastrointestinal distress without any apparent physical cause. Gluten wasn’t the culprit; the cause was likely psychological. Participants expected the diets to make them sick, and so they did. The finding led Gibson to the opposite conclusion of his 2011 research: “In contrast to our first study… we could find absolutely no specific response to gluten.” Instead, as RCS reported last week, FODMAPS are a far more likely cause of the gastrointestinal problems attributed to gluten intolerance"

Angelina Jolie Effect: Doctors warn over worrying rise in double mastectomies - "Women with breast cancer are increasingly asking for removal of both breasts – despite there being no medical reason for the surgery. Most do not have a genetic or family history putting them at higher risk of the disease, warn experts. As a result, they are being over-treated and may suffer long-term harm, including delays in dealing with the cancer. The rise in women asking for the procedure comes after actress Angelina Jolie last year chose a double mastectomy for prevention when she discovered gene mutations raised her risk of breast cancer to 87 per cent. The risk is around 12.5 per cent in the general population. But a recent study found more than two-thirds of women who had both breasts removed after a cancer diagnosis did not have a medical reason for doing so."
The Power of Awareness!